Good Job or Bad? 3 Red Flags to Watch For When Job Hunting

In the journey to find a job, no milestone is more exciting than the call or email announcing: You’re hired. It’s a sign of success, a moment to celebrate, and—assuming you accept the position—the launch of a new phase in your professional life.

What might that new phase look like? Much depends on the team and the organization: some are great to work for, while others can test your patience, your stamina, and even your mental health.

To help you target good jobs, we offer a two-part series on how to evaluate good and bad signs during your search for employment. Here, in Part I, we identify three red flags to watch for when job hunting. Heeding these warnings can help you avoid having your bright new phase turn into a daily slog through a toxic workplace culture.

Red Flag 1: Murky Technology Roadmap

Working for an organization that has a chaotic technology plan—if it has a plan at all—can make life on your dream job an ongoing nightmare. Vague or nonexistent goals and disorganized schedules, purchases, and leadership trickle down as stress, anxiety, and overwhelm for the people charged with moving an organization’s technology forward.

What to Watch For

During interviews, ask specific questions about:

• The technology roadmap;
• One of the current projects this position would be working on;
• Approaches to technology upgrades and adoption

Then, carefully listen to the responses. Whether precise or generic—or somewhere in-between—these answers offer insights into the organization’s level of planning and focus, as well as its future directions.

Dig deeper. You can further explore a company’s technology plan and practices by gathering information from various sources:

• The organization’s website: Study blogs, press releases, and news articles on product launches and technology initiatives.
• Leadership profiles: Examine the profiles of organization leaders and managers on LinkedIn and other social networks for updates on the company’s technology plans, as well as descriptions of its project wins and lessons learned.
• Industry conferences and events: Search for past or upcoming event presentations by company representatives, which often outline or at least imply the company’s technology strategies.

Red Flag 2: High IT Turnover

A company bleeding IT personnel puts additional strain on existing employees. These staff members might be unable to do their work because of project workflow gaps. And they’re often expected to take on additional tasks in or beyond their area to keep things minimally functioning until vacated roles are filled.

What to Watch For

Start with the job description itself. Does it include a long, randomly ordered list of expected skills and technologies? If so, it might indicate a lack of clarity about the open position and its responsibilities. It can also indicate a company in crisis, that simply needs a body to fill multiple leaks in its IT dam.

Dig deeper. Much of this research involves examining two things:

• Employee Tenure: Check the LinkedIn profiles of employees to see their length of tenure at the organization.
• Job openings: Check the number of job openings on the organization’s job page and on job search sites such as LinkedIn, Dice, and Zip Recruiter.

In the latter case, if you see many openings, you need to dig further. Search news sites and the company’s own website for press releases and other information about the company’s status. Many open jobs can be a good sign and evidence of a planned expansion. Or it can be a sign that the organization has high turnover, which could leave you either joining the flight or mired in too much work in a stressful environment.

Red Flag 3: What Work/Life Balance?

In its latest workmonitor report, Rethinking Ambition, global HR giant Randstat found that 93% of the jobseekers it surveyed rated work/life balance and pay equally—and highest—of all their career priorities.

What to Watch For

While job hunters typically care deeply about work/life balance, it can be tricky to ask about it in interviews, especially if you’re in an impacted field. To ease into your investigation, lead with more general questions, such as asking about a typical work week for someone in the position you’re applying for, or how the company supports work/life balance.

Pay attention to generic, vague, or dismissive responses, which are telling (and not in a good way).

Dig deeper. Organizations that actively support work/life balance often discuss it in detail on their website’s Careers and About Us pages. Those that don’t are likely to give cursory attention to it in general terms, if they mention it at all.

Other options for gathering insights about a company include checking employee reviews and discussions on job review platforms. Additionally, explore our build your career resources for valuable career development materials. You can also check out our resource library for comprehensive career guides, and consider volunteer opportunities to help build your professional network.

Next Up? The Green Flags

In Part II of Good Company or Bad? we cover the good, describing green flags to look for as you seek out that new job. We also engage in a deeper exploration of what constitutes a healthy company and what makes a job most likely to nurture your talent, your ambition, and your good life after hours.